Zakynthos Informer Zakynthos Informer
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Whenever, wherever you spend money, businesses are obliged by law, to issue receipts.
DO NOT BE FOBBED OFF WITH EXCUSES.
This includes the new Accommodation tax, which you pay on arrival at your hotel. The star rating of your hotel refers to that of the Greek Hoteliers, not your tourist agents system, so the amount paid may differ. (Here the receipt may be hand written, but on a certain receipt form. On the day of arrival a pro-forma receipt may be issued, with the official hand-written receipt issued on the last day of your stay.).
If a receipt from the cash machine is not issued BEFORE you hand over your cash, DON’T pay. Leave the items you were to buy and go, (you don’t want to get arrested for shop-lifting). If you are questioned, tell them you want a receipt – ‘apOdiksi’.
There could be a spot check from a tax-department worker and you could be eligible for a fine if you have items without a receipt*.
If at a restaurant you can walk away, if you are being asked to pay without, literally, ‘seeing the bill’ meaning that it has been issued from a cash-register and is not hand-written in any way.
Why all this? Tax-evasion is a ‘worldwide sport’. Any payments made, without a receipt being issued usually means that the percentage of tax that is owed to the government, is going into the back-pocket of someone, resulting in economies such as Greece, getting in the red.
* – The laws of the land state – “Specifically, inspectors may impose fines of between EUR 100 and EUR 1,000 in case of non-issuance – on the part of the entrepreneur – or for not receiving proof of purchase (i.e. a receipt) – on behalf of the consumer” https://www.reader.gr/oikonomia/prostima-apo-100-eos-1000-eyro-kryvei-neo-foro-nomoshedio.
